Qarabagh shopkeepers demand rollback of steep rent hikes

KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of shopkeepers in the market of Qarabagh district in the capital Kabul have complained about rising shop rents and urged the authorities to reduce them.

Officials say rent regulation was carried out following a structured assessment and that all decisions will be made in accordance with the law, justice and the public interest.

Zia-ul-Haq, a shopkeeper in the Qarabagh market, told Pajhwok Afghan News the shops were built on government land and rents were first introduced during the presidency of former president Hamid Karzai.

He said the rent for his shop was 300 afghanis at that time, but after the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), it increased to 1,200 afghanis, later to 1,800 and has now been set at 3,000 afghanis.

He said he could not afford to pay such an amount and called on the municipality to reduce the rent.

According to him, shop rents in the Qarabagh market vary depending on location, with some now rising as high as 7,000 afghanis.

Hamdullah, another shopkeeper, said his rent had also increased from 1,800 to 3,000 afghanis.

He said many shopkeepers were unable to afford the new rates due to poor market conditions and asked the municipality to lower the rents.

Some social media users have also made similar complaints about the increased rents.

The Qarabagh municipality issued a statement in response to the complaints.

The statement said there were 16 markets and nearly 1,500 shops in the district market, all officially registered as municipal property rather than private property.

Therefore, regulation, rent setting and administrative affairs fall within the municipality’s legal authority.

The municipality stressed that rent regulation was carried out on the basis of a structured plan and assessment to ensure municipal revenues were collected transparently and spent on public services, market organisation, cleanliness, security and infrastructure.

Any changes in rents were made in accordance with laws and regulations, not personal discretion, and allegations of extortion or land grabbing were described as baseless.

According to the statement, the municipality pledged not to allow unlawful extortion or personal interests and said anyone with evidence could submit it through official channels for a serious investigation.

The municipality added that stalls and facilities built or distributed illegally would be reorganised and corrected in line with the law to ensure a fair and orderly market.

The statement noted that respecting street vendors and shopkeepers was the municipality’s responsibility and that it did not intend to deprive anyone of work, but aimed to create an organised, clean and orderly market where all traders could operate with confidence.

The municipality also assured that it was ready to hear the concerns of all shopkeepers and street vendors and was open to review and consultation, but all decisions would be made in accordance with the law, justice and the public interest.

kk/sa